Vincent arrived back at Mandrake Hall physically and mentally exhausted.
Jonathan, one of his younger servants, was waiting as instructed to greet him on the path. Vincent instructed him to go to the stables and ask one of the boys there to take the carriage back to the presbytery.
Hobson was waiting for him inside the main door.
“How’s everything?” Vincent asked, while his servant helped him with his coat.
“The ladies have been very concerned about you, your lordship. They missed you at tea and have insisted that supper is not served before you arrived home.”
Vincent smiled. “Well, you can tell cook to give me five minutes to change, then I’ll be down.”
Vincent went straight upstairs to his bedroom to change for dinner without stopping first to see his wife and daughters in the parl
